The Blues’ power play was a drag in 2025-26, and the number told the story: 17.59%, well below the league average of 21.11%. That kind of gap is hard to paper over, so heading into 2026-27, St. Louis is clearly looking at a different setup.
Ex-General Manager Doug Armstrong already made major additions aimed at fixing the problem, and head coach Jim Montgomery has room to reshape the unit with some tactical tweaks. If the pieces click, this group has a chance to look a lot more dangerous than the version that stumbled through last season.
The biggest change should come with the first unit. Robert Thomas, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway are expected to be together at even strength, and it makes sense to keep that trio intact when the Blues go on the power play, too. The question is who fills out the rest of the group.
Last season, Justin Faulk was the lone defenseman on the top unit before Cam Fowler took over after Faulk was traded. Pavel Buchnevich also had a spot there. That setup should change next season.
Logan Mailloux and Mason McTavish look like the best fits to join the first group. That could shift depending on how the second unit performs, but both make the most sense to start the year.
Mailloux is in a sink-or-swim spot on a one-year contract, and a strong power-play showing could spill over into his even-strength play. McTavish, meanwhile, is new to St.
Louis and could be a real asset around the net. Eight of his 17 goals with the Anaheim Ducks last season came from the high-danger slot area.
The second unit has a chance to be more than just a placeholder, too. Dalibor Dvorsky, who led the team with five power-play goals, should keep playing a major role in 2026-27.
Philip Broberg is set to run the point, which also gives Mailloux a reason to stay sharp. The No. 1 defenseman is right behind him.
Buchnevich should slide into that group as well, and Connor McMichael - who could center the line - adds another new wrinkle. Jake Neighbours rounds out the five, bringing forechecking pressure and a little chaos around the puck.
If the first unit can build some rhythm and hand things off to that second group, the Blues have a real shot to finish in the top-10 in power-play percentage next season. There will probably be some shuffling as the 84-game season unfolds, but at least on paper, this looks more complete.
In Other News...
Blues Could Be Headed For A Brutal Goalie Decision
A hypothetical 2027 expansion draft would force the Blues to start thinking well ahead about how they would handle their goaltending, and the conversation gets complicated fast under a 7-3-1 protection setup. St. Louis would already be juggling difficult decisions at several spots on the roster, but the net is where the tension really sharpens because both Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington would be part of the calculation.
Jordan Binningtons age and contract timeline make this more than a simple depth-chart debate, and the Blues could find themselves facing a choice between protecting short-term stability and preserving long-term value. If an expansion draft ever does land on that schedule, the front office may have to decide whether to move on from Binnington earlier rather than risk a scenario where he is left exposed and the Blues get nothing back. [Read more 🡒]
Blues May Have A Center Debate That Changes Their Future
The Blues have spent the offseason reshaping their forward group, and the additions of Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael give them a different kind of center depth than they had before. With Robert Thomas already anchoring the middle, the possibility of keeping Dalibor Dvorsky at center instead of sliding him to the wing suddenly looks less like a developmental footnote and more like a roster decision with real long-term value.
St. Louis wants a lineup that can flex through the middle with Thomas, McTavish and Dvorsky, rather than forcing one of its young pieces out of position just to make the puzzle fit. That approach would also let the Blues keep prospect Tynan Lawrence on a slower developmental track, while the bigger question remains whether Dvorsky is best served by staying where he is or taking on a new role for the sake of balance elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Entering A New Era With One Huge Leadership Decision Ahead
The Blues are heading into a rare stretch of uncertainty at the top of the organizational ladder, and it is one of the bigger signs that a new era is taking shape. For the first time since 1996-97, St. Louis will begin a season without a captain, forcing the club to decide how it wants to define its next leadership core as the roster continues to evolve.
Several names are in the mix, including Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours, Philip Broberg, Jimmy Snuggerud and Colton Parayko, with a few others still lingering as long shots. The bigger question now is not just who gets the job, but when the Blues decide to make it official, since there is a growing sense around the team that a pre-season announcement would make sense if the choice is clear enough. [Read more 🡒]